From the Birth of the Cool til the end of September she is

Ms. Lotus Fankh

BIO

What’s in a name? A lot.

The name Lotus Fankh - singer, songwriter, dancer, performance artist - honors the symbolic rebirth of a lotus, the ankh a symbol for Life, and the “F” for Funk. Put those together and you get a glimpse into the ideals Ms. Lotus Fankh holds dear.

Raised in Milwaukee and supported by a family that encouraged open discussions and independent thinking, Ms. Fankh attended the city’s Middle School and High School for the Arts. Although music was always part of her life, she didn’t start to sing until senior year at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. That’s when she started putting her poetry together with guitar playing. After college, she experimented with several bands and when she met producer Moses of Higher Education Records, she started recording.

Now at age 29, Ms. Fankh is constantly writing songs and buying equipment. Purchasing her Loop station solidified her lifetime commitment to composing and performing music. Her sound is inspired by Soul, Funk, Jazz, and Rock.She expresses personal stories through guitar, loop station, violin, original songs, and her sultry voice.

With the release of her new video “Better Than This” and EP of the same name, Ms. Fankh is making her mark on her hometown.

But this is only the beginning.

She’s working on her next EP with many local musicians and it’s guaranteed to be a tour de force. The new EP will be kicked off by her one-woman show that showcases original poetry, choreography and design work.

Eventually, she envisions herself writing cinema scores, crediting her Dad with exposing her to a variety of music that even includes the iconic scores of Spaghetti Westerns by Ennio Morricone. And, like Morricone, Ms. Fankh wants her music to reach huge audiences.

“I want to have a global reach from my heart, and give everyone a little heart hug” she says. Her dedication to addressing social and racial injustices through music led to one of her proudest moments: she returned to her Alma Mater to perform “Woke,” a 2-hour program that featured poetry and talkbacks with with students. The experience - promoting education, awareness and healing - underscored her commitment to her life’s work.

“On a local level, my dream is to have a community foundation that funds the arts, bringing a more direct connection between the money and the outcomes,” Ms. Fankh said.

She’s a vocal proponent of Milwaukee’s burgeoning arts and music scene and hopes one day she can open a hostel in her Riverwest neighborhood so more people can experience the city’s offerings.

Ms. Fanhk is excited to share her debut EP "Better Than This.” The video release is planned for May 27th 10pm at Company Brewing Milwaukee WI.